The Classical Chat Thread

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I thought WK was a particular friend of Jens.
But I confess to being curious as to what equipment a concert hall prefers for its listening.

Bricks and mortar!

[EigenUser]

I'm thinking of getting my dad a copy of the Messiaen Turangalila-Symphonie (Chung) for Christmas. He enjoys classical music, but only knows about it from me. He is even worse than I am with repetition (i.e. playing the same things over and over again) and he still thinks that the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra is the indisputable height of musical achievement. He seems to have really enjoyed the Messiaen TS when I've played it for him. I put the CFO and the TS in the same category as far as being "symphonic spectaculars" of the 20th-century.

[Karl Henning]

. . . and he still thinks that the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra is the indisputable height of musical achievement.

Well, thinking any one work to be such a height is erroneous.

Still, thinking that highly of the Sz.116 is not a bad place to be.

[Brian]

Another nugget from BIS CEO Robert von Bahr:

"...Leif Ove Andsnes, whom I had met when he was a teenager in Reykjavík, Iceland, and promptly offered an exclusive recording contract, which he and his agent equally promptly accepted. I went ahead and fixed engagement and recording for Prokofiev's 3rd Concerto, and then the Big Silence from his agent started. Finally I could read in the newspaper that Andsnes's agent had double-dealt and finally signed with another company, without telling me a word."

http://www.eclassical.com/pages/daily-deal.html?cache=purge

[Karl Henning]

So, it's a blessing that I remain an unknown?  Perhaps that is true, after all   

[EigenUser]

Well, thinking any one work to be such a height is erroneous.

Still, thinking that highly of the Sz.116 is not a bad place to be.

Exactly how I feel (for both things you say here!).

[Ken B]

I'm thinking of getting my dad a copy of the Messiaen Turangalila-Symphonie (Chung) for Christmas. He enjoys classical music, but only knows about it from me. He is even worse than I am with repetition (i.e. playing the same things over and over again) and he still thinks that the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra is the indisputable height of musical achievement. He seems to have really enjoyed the Messiaen TS when I've played it for him. I put the CFO and the TS in the same category as far as being "symphonic spectaculars" of the 20th-century.

Good gift. (Better gift than music  ) I'm getting mine, who has the good taste -- alone in my family aside from me -- to like Philip Glass the Gorecki Symphony of Sorowful Songs.

[EigenUser]

Good gift. (Better gift than music  ) I'm getting mine, who has the good taste -- alone in my family aside from me -- to like Philip Glass the Gorecki Symphony of Sorowful Songs.

I like Gorecki's 3rd. I've only heard it once, but I should hear it again. Not hard to see why it was so popular when it came out.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Gosh, that last movement of Mendelssohn's D minor piano trio is hauntingly beautiful, especially that one persistently repeating melody.

I may have my found my favorite Mendelssohn chamber work. It's hard to top that.

[amw]

Chandos has recently withdrawn all of their albums from Qobuz.

Hyperion has followed suit.

Their catalogue was available to stream until December of 2012 I think, at which point they made it download-only; now the downloads are gone as well.

(To be fair, the Hyperion website's downloads are a bit cheaper than Qobuz's. Still, I guess this is a sign that whatever 'negotiations' the two companies were involved in have not come to a fruitful conclusion.)

[Karl Henning]

Could be that the publishers realize that, in the new environment, the need for a middleman is much reduced.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

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The #Maestro (@ValeryGergiev) has arrived. Total #Prokofiev w/@Mariinsken at the @KonzerthausWien


Not a #Ghost, just #Maestro @ValeryGergiev floating through the hall, rehearsing the @Mariinsken. #Prokofiev


Quick little adjustment in #Prokofiev 1st Sy. w/@ValeryGergiev and #Mariinsky.#classicalmusic


Denis Kozhukhin rehearsing #Prokofiev 2nd #Piano #Concerto with @ValeryGergiev for the total Prokofiev extravaganza at the Wiener Konzerthaus. #classicalmusic #Vienna


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[Ken B]

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The #Maestro (@ValeryGergiev) has arrived. Total #Prokofiev w/@Mariinsken at the @KonzerthausWien


Not a #Ghost, just #Maestro @ValeryGergiev floating through the hall, rehearsing the @Mariinsken. #Prokofiev


Quick little adjustment in #Prokofiev 1st Sy. w/@ValeryGergiev and #Mariinsky.#classicalmusic


Denis Kozhukhin rehearsing #Prokofiev 2nd #Piano #Concerto with @ValeryGergiev for the total Prokofiev extravaganza at the Wiener Konzerthaus. #classicalmusic #Vienna


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Gergiev is not universally admired here at GMG. I for one got his Prokofiev box out of the house faster than John can change an avatar.

[North Star]

Which box? Surely not the operas??

[Ken B]

Which box? Surely not the operas??

No, his alleged symphony cycle. 

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Gergiev is not universally admired here at GMG. I for one got his Prokofiev box out of the house faster than John can change an avatar.

Which artist is, anyway? How boring that would be.

Certainly on record, I (personally) know only one who should be, and that's Fricsay. Maybe Kleiber Jr.

The concert, however, was smashing. The Piano Concertos... esp. the Second, which needs live performance perhaps more dearly, to come across in all its brawny excellence...

(In his symphony cycle, I rather like the Sixth and Third.)


#Prokofiev's First went by quickly. Now onto PC #1 with Volodin. And @ValeryGergiev of course. #classicalmusic #Symphony


... ditto the First #Prokofiev #Piano #Concerto, really well done by A.Volodin and @Mariinsken and @ValeryGergiev #classicalmusic


After the smashing 2nd #Piano #Concerto of #Prokofiev's w/Denis Kozhukhin, @ValeryGergiev & @Mariinsken... #classicalmusic

[North Star]

No, his alleged symphony cycle. 

It does not exist.   

[Henk]

Really don't dig Ligeti anymore.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Really don't dig Ligeti anymore.

If you did, again, though... we know just the place where to start!

[EigenUser]

If you did, again, though... we know just the place where to start!

Oh my god, that's so morbid, but hilarious. Poor Ligeti...